Harvard against the New School

Divestment action in campuses across the continent.

Across the continent campuses are being swept up into divestment action while the old order suffers a clash of principles. In an open letter, Harvard’s president stood firm saying, “The endowment is a resource, not an instrument to impel social or political change.”

Meanwhile, in New York the president of the New School called climate change “one of the greatest challenges we face today.” He took the pledge a step further and will infuse climate change into many of the school’s programs.

This has not stopped Divest Harvard organizers from trying to join the likes of the New School, Swarthmore, Chico State and Syracuse universities in terminating fossil fuel investments from their endowment funds. Organizer Talia Rothstein called out Harvard’s stance on Democracy Now, saying the “fossil fuel industry is not only at the heart of climate change … not only exploits already marginalized communities by propagating climate change, but also really has a chokehold over our political system.”

Students at Harvard have occupied and blockaded administrative offices in a demand to be heard.